In a little more than a year, Colorado may become the first state to legalize marijuana. Between now and then, prepare to meet petition waving enthusiasts. In fact, prepare to meet competing petition wavers as it is quite likely that at least two different pro-marijuana groups will propose at least two different legalization schemes.

First out of the box is the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol, sponsored and/or supported by groups such as SAFER Colorado, Sensible Colorado, the Marijuana Policy Project and the Drug Policy Alliance.

This initiative would amend the Colorado Constitution to allow people 21 and older to buy and possess up to one ounce of marijuana. They would also be able to grow up to six plants and to possess all of the marijuana produced by those plants.

Mason Tvert, the leader of the group, says that the black market currently makes marijuana more easily accessible to children and teenagers than alcohol is. “Parents should support this,” he said. “This will shift it from a prohibition paradigm to a regulation paradigm.”

Read the entire story: http://coloradoindependent.com/93279/marijuana-legalization-effort-launched-in-colorado-today

Marijuana activists in Colorado who want to legalize pot for recreational use plan to start gathering signatures Thursday to put the question on ballots next year.

Backers of a suggested constitutional amendment to make pot legal for adults in small quantities say they'll start gathering signatures Thursday afternoon in Denver. The backers got final clearance Wednesday from a state board that certifies language before it can be placed on ballots.

First, it was medical marijuana. Now, pot advocates are trying to legalize marijuana use in Colorado for adults, with or without a doctor’s recommendation.

Supporters of a ballot measure to legalize marijuana plan to start gathering signatures in Denver on Thursday.

They’re calling it the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act of 2012. 

Read the entire story: http://www.kwgn.com/news/kdvr-petition-drive-starts-thursday-to-fully-legalize-marijuana-in-colo-20110706,0,5780053.story

Marijuana advocates are slowly but steadily moving toward the November 2012 ballot. And they want nothing less than full legalization.

Two weeks ago, the state set a title for eight different possible ballot measures that would allow Colorado citizens over 21 to possess an ounce or less of marijuana. The authors of the ballot measure—Mason Tvert, of SAFER, and attorney Brian Vicente — said they’ll soon select one of the eight measures to pursue. The eight have small technical differences, but otherwise are identical, said Tvert.

More and more NYC moms are using pot to unwind from the parenthood grind

...“There are an awful lot of moms I know of who smoke,” says Via. “I would never personally advocate that someone smoke in front of their young children, but I definitely think there are so many pluses, as far as stress [relief].”

One of the group’s platforms is that marijuana is highly preferable to booze — the mommy’s traditional go-to — because, they say, it doesn’t come with the negative behavioral side effects. A similar group, the Colorado-based Women’s Marijuana Movement, outlines these points on its Web site, citing studies from American Scientist and the US Centers for Disease Control: “Marijuana is far less toxic than alcohol. Long-term marijuana use is far less harmful than long-term alcohol use.”...

In general, the Internet is a marijuana-friendly place -- but that doesn't mean every door is open to weed, as pot advocate Mason Tvert learned firsthand.

His publisher wanted to use Facebook to tout a special deal on his book Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink? only to discover that the social-media giant wouldn't allow ads to support it...

Read the entire story at: http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2011/06/marijuana_mason_tvert_facebook_ad.php